Digital image providing system

Abstract

The present invention provides a digital image providing system comprising a processing information obtaining device which obtains processing information for performing required image processing on an original image of a customer taken at a photo-studio, an encrypting device which encrypts the obtained processing information, a decrypting device which decrypts the encrypted processing information, and a device which records the original image of the customer and the encrypted processing information of the original image in association with each other on a recording medium to be provided for the customer or uploads them to a server accessible to the customer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a digital image providing system, and more specifically to a technique for providing a customer a digital image taken at a photo studio or a studio rent for photo-taking. [0003] 2. Related Art [0004]FIG. 7 is a diagram for illustrating a conventional work flow at a photo studio from registering a customer to outputting a photo print. [0005] As shown in FIG. 7, a customer is registered at the reception of a photo studio (step S10) and taken a digital photograph with a digital camera, from which or from whose recording medium, the taken image is captured into an image database (step S12). Then, the image taken by the digital camera is displayed on a display device at the photo studio and presented to the customer to let him select an image to be printed (step S14). [0006] An image processing device at the photo studio keeps the digital image selected at the presentation, and performs i...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] The present invention is adapted in the view of the circumstances above and intends to provide a digital image providing system that protects image data, to which the customer has a right (a right of portrait), and a processing technique and processing information on the image, to which the professional photographer has a right (a copyright), while keeping a benefit of repeatedly serving photo-prints with a quality satisfactory to a customer and protecting business opportunity of the professional photographer.

[0017] The second aspect of the present invention is the digital image providing system according to the first aspect, further including a database which manages a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted processing information in association with customer information for identifying a customer, wherein the encrypting device encrypts the obtained processing information with an encryption key different for each customer, and the decrypting device retrieves a corresponding decryption key based on the customer information from the database and decrypts the encrypted processing information. With encryption / decryption different for each customer, the processing information can be protected more tightly.

[0019] In other words, as the photo-studio has a decryption key for decrypting encrypted processing information and can obtain processing information by using the decryption key, the photo-studio can create another photo print in reprinting an image with the same finish as that of the first photo-print.

[0027] The present invention is adapted to separate an original image and processing information on picture creation, encrypt the processing information or the information on the storage of the processing information, provide the original image of a customer and the encrypted information on a recording medium to be provided to the customer or upload them to a server accessible to the customer so that the customer can obtain his original image (digital image) and a professional photographer can protect processing information on the image, to which the professional photographer has a right (a copyright). A professional photographer who has a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted information can retrieve processing information as required and provide the customer another photo print with the same finish as the first photo print.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, the photo-studio is unable to protect its right and loses its business opportunity in its secondary service of printing the image.

Images